CTA offers naming rights to 11 stations

The CTA today put out a pitch to sell businesses naming rights and sponsorships to 11 rail stations, mostly on the North Side and downtown as well as at both Chicago airports.

The stations are Addison, Belmont, Fullerton, North/Clybourn, Chicago, Grand/State, 79th and 95th on the Red Line; Ashland/63rd on the Green Line; O’Hare on the Blue Line; and Midway on the Orange Line, officials said.

A CTA spokeswoman said “diversity of location’’ was among the key criteria in selecting the 11 stations.

CTA officials described the stations as “iconic assets’’ that companies would be proud to associate their names with, but the transit agency would not say how much money it is hoping to generate from prospective deals.

“The valuation will vary depending on location, ridership, marketability, etc.,’’ said CTA spokeswoman Molly Sullivan. “We will not discuss how much we expect to receive from the sponsorships.’’

The offer of exclusive naming rights at “L” and subway stations represents the transit agency’s latest move to generate more revenue from non-traditional sources and help stave off the perennial threat of fare hikes and service cuts.

Earlier this year, the CTA solicited bids for corporate naming rights sponsorships to assets including Bus Tracker and Train Tracker, the Holiday Train, New Year’s Eve penny rides and First Day Free Rides for Chicago Public Schools students.

Those bids were due on May 18, but the transit agency received a strong response only for the penny rides, Sullivan said.

“We are currently reviewing the bids received and negotiating agreements and expect to re-bid in the future the other programs that were part of the first round of requests for proposals,’’ Sullivan said.

The CTA’s search for corporate naming rights sponsorships is being conducted through IMG, a business development consultant. Responses to Wednesday’s offer are due in September.

In making selections, the CTA will consider a company’s reputation and financial stability, officials said. The name and logo of sponsors will appear on CTA system maps and exclusive advertising inside the station, officials said.

To drum up more revenue, the CTA also recently dropped a 15-year ban on alcoholic beverage advertisements on the CTA system.

Alcohol ads are now allowed on CTA trains and at some rail stations, but not on buses.

The new ads will bring in more than $1 million a year under the current contract, and millions more under future advertising contracts, officials said.

The CTA previously has allowed civic groups and businesses to adopt rail stations.

In addition, in 2010 the CTA concluded a $3.9 million deal with Apple Inc. to refurbish the North/Clybourn Red Line stop, partly in exchange for a future naming-rights contract for the station, which is near an Apple Store.